According to the traditions, Allah dictated that Ka’baa to be
built in heaven in Baitul

Ma’amoor. Allah in His infinite Mercy dictated that a similar
House be built on earth.

Hence Prophet Adam built the Ka’baa. It is a simple structure of
grey blue stones collected from around the city of Makkah. It is
a cube of 60 feet. The four corners roughly face four points of
compass. At the East is the Black Stone (Ruknel Aswad), at the
North is Ruken al Iraqi, at the West is Ruknel Shami, and at the
South is Ruknel Yamani. The four walls are covered with black
brocade curtain (Kiswa) with the “Shahada” weaved in the fabric.
About 2/3rd band covered with Qur’anic texts. It has six sides
representing every direction meaning as Allah is every where,
His House represents infinity! Its sanctity and antiquity is
older than history itself. It is mentioned in Bible and Old
Testament also.

A door is fixed about 7 feet above the ground. The “Black Stone”
(Hajre Aswad), about 12 inches in diameter, was fixed into its
Easter Corner. Opposite the North West wall is a semi circular
wall of white marble, about 5 feet thick and 3 feet high. The
space between Ka’baa and semi-circle wall is the place where the
graves of Prophet Isma’el and his mother Bibi Ha’jira are
situated. Inside the Maqam-e-Ibra’him, is a stone preserving the
foot prints of Prophet Ibrahim said to have been made during the
rebuilding of Ka’baa.

In front of the building is the “Maqaam-e-Ibrahim” – an arch
shaped structure, and The Well of “Zam Zam”. Just outside are
the hills of “Safa” and “Marwa”. The distance between the hills
is about 500 yards.

References of Ka’baa in the Noble Qur’an:

“While Ibrahim and Ismael were raising the foundation of the
House, they prayed:

“We made the House in (in Makkah) as a place of refuge and
sanctuary for men.

(People), adopt the place where Ibrahim stood as a place for
prayer. We advised Ibra’him and Isma’el to keep My House clean
for the pilgrims, the worshippers, and those who bow down and
prostrate themselves in worship.” (2:125)

“Safa and Marwa are reminders of Allah. It is no sin for one who
visits the Sacred House (Ka’baa) to walk seven times between
(them). Who ever, willingly, does a good deed in obedience to
Allah will find Allah All-Knowing and fully “The first House of
Worship that Allah assigned to men was in Bakkah (another name
of Makkah). It is a Blessed one and a guide for all people.”
(3:96)

“In (Bakkah), there are many clear signs (evidence of the
existence of Allah). Among them is the place where Ibra’him
stood. Whoever seeks refuge therein, will be protected by the
laws of amnesty. Those who have the means and ability, have a
duty to Allah to visit the House and perform the Hajj
(pilgrimage) rituals. The unbelievers should know that Allah is
Independent of all creatures.” (3:97)

“Allah has made the Ka’baa, the Sacred House, the sacred months,
the unmarked and marked sacrificial animals for the welfare of
men and in order to inform you that Allah knows all that is in
the heavens and the earth.” (5:97)

Ever since Prophet Isma’el built this House along with his
father, it remained in the Even during the life time of Ibra’him,
people started putting idols in Ka’baa. It was over four
thousand years later that after the famous “Victory of Makkah”,
the Holy Prophet(s.a.w.s.) along with the Commander of the
Faithful, destroyed all the idols. Imam Ali was asked by the
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) to stand on Prophet’s shoulders to break
a huge idol. So the Vilayat was on the shoulders of the Chief of
the Prophets! The Holy Prophet was reciting the Ayah: “Say,
Truth has come and falsehood has been of the way up, runs a
golden embroidered banished; it is doomed to banishment.”
(17:81)

During early period of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), before
proclaiming prophet hood, there was a flood in Makkah, and
Ka’baa was damaged. After reconstruction, the Makkans quarreled
over who should re-install Hajr-e-Aswad in the wall. Ultimately,
they agreed that whoever enters the precincts of Ka’abaa, will
decide. Next morning the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) entered. He
advised that the Hajr-e-Aswad be placed in a cloak and it
should be lift by heads of every tribe and bring it near the
wall. Then the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) picked up the Hajr-e-Aswad
and placed it in the wall.

After the massacre of the family of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
at Karbala, Yazid ibn Muawiya sent a huge contingent under
Haseen bin Namir to Madinah who destroyed the sacred Mosque of
the Prophet and then proceeded to Makkah and demolished the four
walls of Ka’baa (including the curtain embroidered with Qur’anic
verses) and martyred thousands of Muslims who objected to the
heinous crime!

The Ka’abaa was rebuilt by Abdullah ibne Zubair and his
associates. Later on Umawi forces returned to Makkah and killed
Abdullah Ibne Zubair, hung his body on the gates of Ka’baa for
three months. We must always remember that Yazid’s grand father
Abu Sufyan accepted Islam when the sword was hanging on his head
after the Victory of Makkah! In the Battle of Uhad, Abu Sufyan’s
wife Hinda had chewed the liver of Hazrat Hamza, the Prophet’s
uncle! Yazid himself had said in front of the sacred daughters
of the Holy Prophet in his court that there was no revelation,
no angels descended, Bani Hashim had staged the drama to attain
power!

Birth of the Commander of the Faithful:
Imam Ali (a.s.) had the unique distinction of being the first
and the last baby to have been born in the Sacred House of
Allah. His mother, Bi Fatima Binte Asad (s.a.) was pregnant and
was circumambulating the Ka’baa, when the signs of Imam Ali
(a.s.)’s birth became imminent. She prayed to Allah help and the
wall of Ka’baa cracked open, she entered inside and the wall
returned to normal. Imam Ali (a.s.) was born inside Ka’baa and
they both remained inside for three days. One can imagine the
purity of the baby! Later, he was one of the participants of “Ayat-e-Tatheer”
which reads: “O People of the House! Allah wants to keep away
all kinds of uncleanness from you and to Purify you When Abraha
came with the intention of destroying Ka’baa, his army looted
200 camels of Hazrat Abdul Muttalib, he went for its recovery.
Abraha said that he was not worried about Ka’baa. Hazrat Abdul
Muttalib replied that it will be protected by its owner! Allah
sent bands of small birds carrying 3 stones which they struck on
the Abraha’s army including some elephants and destroyed his
army.

The story is
described in Surah al-Feel, The Story of Holy Ka’baa and its
people by: Syed Muhammad Raza Shabbar
Muhammadi Trust, London U.K.